Review of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires (oem sizes)

Vehicle: 2005 BMW M3 with 19 inch factory wheels

Price: $320 each for the front tires and $340 each for the rear tires

Before reading this review there is a little bit of background information that is important to understand.


I live in Ohio. We get snow, ice, rain, freezing rain, sleet, snowy-ice, icy-snow, and all other conceivable combinations. We can also have huge daily fluctuations in the weather. One day it can be 70 and sunny and the next day it might be 35 with freezing rain. Therefore, if you live in southern California where it is 75 and sunny every day, these are probably not the tires for you and you may want to skip this review.

I have a winter car. This allows me to park the M3 during the really bad months (late December, all of January, and early February). I understand that I could get winter tires for the M3, but I would rather not subject the M3 to all the salt and the really bad winter drivers we seem to have around here. It is a personal preference. However, my other car is not an M3 (it is not even vaguely close), so anything I can do to possibly extend my driving of the M3 early or late in the year is a bonus.

I have a lot of experience with the previous version of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires (on previous cars I have owned) and they have always performed flawlessly and lasted longer than expected.


As noted above I have used the original version of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (All-Season) tires and always liked how they performed. They allowed me to extend the driving time of my various sports cars early and late in the year. They gave me a piece of mind when I left for work in the morning that if it did happen to lightly snow or sleet that day that I wouldn’t be sliding all the way home that night. They also lasted a long time and even performed well during the hot dry summer months. When I got my M3 I loved the Michelin Pilot Sport tires that came on it. However, when it came time to change I looked into the A/S versions. Unfortunately they did not make the size for the front tires of the M3 (I wanted to stick with the oem size tires). So I just stuck with the regular Pilot Sports and was extra cautious when deciding what car to drive when there was a chance for slick conditions.

Recently my rear tires were getting very worn (after only 10,000 miles), so it was time to look around for another pair. I happened to look on the Michelin website and after punching in my M3 on the tire finder I saw that they had a brand new tire out, the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus, that would work for the M3. The write-up on these new tires made them seem to be exactly what I was looking for. I searched the internet and found a few reviews and general marketing stuff about the tires. It all seemed good, so I placed an order for a set of 4. They only recently started making the sizes for the M3, so I was the first person in my area to get them on the car. They look almost identical to the previous Pilot Sport A/S version, but I read that most of the changes were internal. These changes supposedly greatly improve wet and dry traction and increased tire life. They now come with a 45,000 mile tread-life warranty. Now, I don’t really expect to get 45,000 miles out of them, but if they last around 30,000 miles I will be happy. I don’t do burn outs, but I do drive fairly spirited.

After driving around for awhile I can honestly say I am impressed. These tires ride very well, look great, and seem to handle on par with the regular Pilot Sports. I am sure if I pushed them to their limited on a track I would notice a difference, but I am never on a track (unfortunately). For regular driving these tires are a great choice. You get 99% of the performance of the regular Pilot Sports with the ability to safely drive the car when it is a little snowy or icy and MUCH better tread-life.

Please keep in mind that these are not winter tires. Don’t expect them to tackle true dead-of-winter snowstorm conditions. If you do not have a second winter car and need to drive your M3 all year no matter the conditions, then you may as well stick with summer tires when it is nice and winter tires when it is not.

For me the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires are a great option and I am sure there are a few others out there that they would work for as well.

Nice review. I've always loved the A/Ss in the E36 sizes. Nice that that finally make them for the 46's 19" sizes.

I was just talking to the tire dude at Costco yesterday about these exact tires and he told me about the 45k warranty. He said the warranty is pro-rated and you actually get a partial refund if you get less than 45k out of them. How much of a refund? I didn't go that far, but it does sound pretty good.

I just wish they were cheaper as they're only about $20 less per tire than the full-boogie PS2s, but the warranty and extra tread-life sort of cancel out the extra cost.

Eh. Why spend so much when I can have both super sticky summer tires AND winter tires for the same price (or even less)? The cost of the PS A/S is just too high is the problem.

Eh. Why spend so much when I can have both super sticky summer tires AND winter tires for the same price (or even less)? The cost of the PS A/S is just too high is the problem.

Uh, the whole summer/winter tire vs. all season tire thing was covered. Read the background information bullet points at the start.

Uh, the whole summer/winter tire vs. all season tire thing was covered. Read the background information bullet points at the start.
Yeah, it was kind of covered. The cost of these is still so far beyond absurd that it's hard to make the math work. If conditions are really so bad that you need all seasons, the beater car is a perfect solution. If you don't want to expose your M to them, why have all season tires at all?

Yeah, it was kind of covered. The cost of these is still so far beyond absurd that it's hard to make the math work. If conditions are really so bad that you need all seasons, the beater car is a perfect solution. If you don't want to expose your M to them, why have all season tires at all?

My rational was explained in great detail, but if you don't get it that's cool. My situation is not the same as everyone else. What works for me may not work for the next guy. If you prefer to buy cheaper tires that's great. I have always liked the results I have received from the Michelin Pilot series and will continue to use them. As I said it the review, it is personal preference.

My rational was explained in great detail, but if you don't get it that's cool. My situation is not the same as everyone else. What works for me may not work for the next guy. If you prefer to buy cheaper tires that's great. I have always liked the results I have received from the Michelin Pilot series and will continue to use them. As I said it the review, it is personal preference.
I've owned a lot of Michelin Pilot tires. They last Pilot I liked was the SX MXX3. Ever since then, they've been watered down and their capabilities have been exceeded by competitors tires. They simply do not have the grip.

This thread is NOT about ultimate grip, Nick.

There is WAAAAAAYYYYYYY more than pure grip that makes a great street tire.

I've owned a lot of Michelin Pilot tires. They last Pilot I liked was the SX MXX3. Ever since then, they've been watered down and their capabilities have been exceeded by competitors tires. They simply do not have the grip.

I can see that you have a thing against Michelin, which is fine. I personally have a thing against BF Goodrich, Continental, and Bridgestone and will not buy those brands of tries again no matter what (due to past experiences). It is all a matter of preference. Different opinions are why we have a forum in the first place and I can appreciate that. Thanks for the input.

Awesome review. Thanks for using proper grammar and punctuation. :thumbsup2:

Since you've also owned PS2s, can you tell yet how wet grip compares? The PS2s seems outstanding in the rain, but I wonder if the A/Ss are even better.

I had A/Ss on my previous car and loved them, but they were on much smaller 17" wheels so the cost wasn't nearly as prohibitive.

nice review, im in cleveland by the way!

Nice review. I drive my M3 (w/ Bridgestone RE050A PPs) on the nice, dry days. Definitely nice to get it out once in a while and give the Jeep a rest.

So far, I haven't been caught in any snow with the M3. Thankfully.

Awesome review. Thanks for using proper grammar and punctuation. :thumbsup2:

Since you've also owned PS2s, can you tell yet how wet grip compares? The PS2s seems outstanding in the rain, but I wonder if the A/Ss are even better.

I had A/Ss on my previous car and loved them, but they were on much smaller 17" wheels so the cost wasn't nearly as prohibitive.

I have yet to experience a true downpour, but the A/S Plus has been great in the rain I have had a chance to drive in. The PS2s are amazing in the wet and at normal temps I bet they would be slightly better than the A/S Plus (just a guess). However, if/when the temp drops the PS2s wet weather grip tends to drop off quickly.

Thanks for all the positive comments on the review!

Nice review........I just dont know about 30K miles........Even if its durable compound in the rubber, its still a 333hp RWD car........The cornering capabilities of the M3 alone are enough to wear down the fronts.......I recently got the Contisport3's (245/275) and heard they are fairly durable but I was hoping to get around 20K out of them......Keep us posted.....

thanks for the review...i used all-season bridgestone potenza re 960as this winter in boston, they performed admirably well in sleet/freezing rain/light-to-medium snow...i decided i wasn't going to drive the snow through deep snow anyway due to my CSL bumper

Expensive all-seasons and a beater. It's the worst of both worlds. Driving a compromised M3 or driving a....

You definitely don't have to justify anything to me, but, in this case, I'm totally :clueless:

Thanks for sharing your review. I also had these tires on my previous E36 and was very happy with them. I recently bought a set for the E46 and had them now for about a month and no complaints. :thumbsup2:

Expensive all-seasons and a beater. It's the worst of both worlds. Driving a compromised M3 or driving a....

You definitely don't have to justify anything to me, but, in this case, I'm totally :clueless:

Compromised M3?!?!? Definitely don't understand your logic there. The Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires are ultra high performance all season tires with the same speed ratings as the regular Pilot Sports. For 99.99999% of driving encountered on the street (we are not talking about track use as these are NOT track tires) the feel, grip, etc. of the two will be very similar. The car is in no way "compromised". I have been running all kinds of Pilot Sports (regular, PS2, A/S old version, now A/S plus) tires on various cars over the years and have found negligible differences when it comes to street driving. They have all worked very well. The A/S versions just allow you to extend the time frame that you can safely drive the car (at least where I live). The current A/S version should also provide me with better tread wear, but we will have to wait and see on that one. On the track it is a whole different story and would not choose any of them for that purpose.

The beater car is for when the snow fall gets heavy, there is a sheet of ice on the road, or I am going somewhere that I shouldn't take the M3 for safety/security reasons. I am in Ohio, but we do still have some crime here. :)

Nice review........I just dont know about 30K miles........Even if its durable compound in the rubber, its still a 333hp RWD car........The cornering capabilities of the M3 alone are enough to wear down the fronts.......I recently got the Contisport3's (245/275) and heard they are fairly durable but I was hoping to get around 20K out of them......Keep us posted.....

I agree on your questioning of the tread wear. I am very skeptical myself and will have to see how they really do. Prior to purchasing I did speak with a Michelin tire tech and asked how they could offer a 45,000 mile warranty on these tires considering the types of cars they would be used on. He said that the new compound has been shown to wear significantly better than the old A/S version and this was their way of showing their confidence in the new tire. I still think I am optimistic with my wish to get 30,000 miles out of them. Even if I only get 20,000 it will still be better than what I got out of the two previous sets of regular Pilot Sports and the A/S were slightly cheaper (not by much though). I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Yeah, I tell anyone interested in buying a used E46 M3 to be prepared to drop $1000-$1500 on tires every 15K on average.........

Expensive all-seasons and a beater. It's the worst of both worlds. Driving a compromised M3 or driving a....

You definitely don't have to justify anything to me, but, in this case, I'm totally :clueless:

You have no idea what you're talking about.

I can all but guarantee that PS A/Ss are a much better overall tire than whatever you are currently running. They are simply outstanding tires... virtually identical to PS2s, which are arguably the best tire money can buy, overall.

^ Virtually identical to PS2s? Thats hard to believe but I haven't driven on them so....

It seems like the PS A/S is a perfect match for your needs OP. Great write up and review. You were very thorough in explaining how you use the tires which is why they seem to be a perfect fit. Im sure some will find your review very useful. Since the M is my only car, I prefer the Max Performance in the summer and winter tire in the winter route.

Let us know how long those Michelins last.

^ Virtually identical to PS2s? Thats hard to believe but I haven't driven on them so....


Yes, as stated by the OP himself. I've used them as well on E36 Ms.

From a pure street perspective, they are incredible tires, just like they're summer cousins. Their max performance is indistinguishable from the PS2s on the street, simply because both tires' limits are far greater than can be extracted on the street.

In addition, since they are in fact Michelins, you get all of the other great aspects of these tires, such as comfort, low noise, consistent performance throughout the life of the tread, predictable limits... etc. These are things that make Michelins so great and in my experience, the best street tires money can buy. Every single other tire I've ever tried, ever, does not offer such a well-rounded package.

The only real trade-off of the A/Ss is less max grip, BUT you get longer life and a money back guarantee.

There is nothing *compromise* about them.

Thanks to the original reviewer - very helpful.

I live in Chicago and drive my M3 all through the winter, with 17" winter tires. Now that I have to switch back to summers, am debating whether I get 4 A/S that I can hopefully drive through winter, or 2 summer tires (my fronts are fine - rears are shot)

Has anyone who lives in a snow state driven exclusively their M3 on these A/S through winter? How did they do?

Thanks

i see your point, those tires works for you becasue u have a certain situation. good review man !!

Just ordered a pair for my rears. I was running PS2s all around, PS2s did not last long at all, so right now I'm running PS2 fronts and Michelin A/S on the rears. Cant tell a difference..Saved me about $350 to go with the A/S. Here in Michigan we get 100 degree days, -10 degree days, heavy rain or snow, or heavy sunshine.

rparker,

thank you for a well thought out review with good information.

I was thinking of purchasing a set of michelin pilot sport wheels for my car as well. Like you, I drive in a spirited manner, but do not ever head out to the track. As such, I was considering getting a set of these all season tires as my "summer" tires since Michelin seems so confident about their treadware with the mileage warranty. In your past experience with the other michelin sport tires, what is your impression of the ride quality and noise from those tires compared to the new all seasons? I bought my car used with some winter/snow tires on them already, so I could go with the pure summer tires, but if street performance is same, and they last longer, I was thinking of the all seasons, as they are about 100 dollars cheaper than the summer tires at costco. The only trade offs might be noise/ride quality and track performance.

rparker,

thank you for a well thought out review with good information.

I was thinking of purchasing a set of michelin pilot sport wheels for my car as well. Like you, I drive in a spirited manner, but do not ever head out to the track. As such, I was considering getting a set of these all season tires as my "summer" tires since Michelin seems so confident about their treadware with the mileage warranty. In your past experience with the other michelin sport tires, what is your impression of the ride quality and noise from those tires compared to the new all seasons? I bought my car used with some winter/snow tires on them already, so I could go with the pure summer tires, but if street performance is same, and they last longer, I was thinking of the all seasons, as they are about 100 dollars cheaper than the summer tires at costco. The only trade offs might be noise/ride quality and track performance.

Like I mentioned in my review and in some of my replies, I have had the opportunity to try out almost every type of Pilot Sport tire on a variety of different cars over the years. I have found that Michelin has been able to create ultra high performance all season tires that offer almost all of the benefits (grip, comfort, low noise, etc.) of the true summer ultra high performance tires. The original A/S tires were great and I have found these new A/S Plus tires to be even better. They ride well, look good, and offer low road noise. I have not had a chance to run them in 100 degree summer weather yet, but if they are anything like the original A/S tires they should work very well for you. The main unknown at this point is how long they will really last. Hope this helps your decision.

Nice write up on the tires.

Great review and very helpful. Being in somewhat of a snow belt myself and the weather you left in is not necessarily the weather you drive home in, I was looking for a tire that kind of did it all. So I ordered my rears to start 255/40/zr18. Here in Canada these thing are expensive. Installed price taxes in (just for rears) $780 to $1015. Costco was the cheapest.

Thanks for the info. I just ordered a set of 4 from costco (1200 installed, they have a 70 dollar off set of 4 deal good through 4/11 for any other members out there).

Thanks for the info. I just ordered a set of 4 from costco (1200 installed, they have a 70 dollar off set of 4 deal good through 4/11 for any other members out there).

what sizes? i've read that costco won't install non-OEM sizes?

I actually don't have an M3 (Sorry!), but they have the stock tires for both the standard 18 inch and 19 inch m3 stock tires. The 18 inch sets are about 150 bucks cheaper in total and the 19 inch is about the same.

I have 225/40/r19 and 245/40/r19 on my g35.

I bought a pair of A/S Plus for my rears to replace a worn pair of PS2s. I have to say my ride quality is definitely suffering since the change. The roll I'm experiencing is unbearable and can be downright scary at high speeds. I find myself constantly correcting the wheel to counter the roll.

What pressure is everyone running in the rears on their A/S Plus? And is anyone else experiencing bad roll? I'm at the point where I want to go return these tires and just go back to PS2s... they may be more expensive and have less tread life, but its a hell of a lot better than the poor ride I'm experiencing on the A/S Plus.

I bought a pair of A/S Plus for my rears to replace a worn pair of PS2s. I have to say my ride quality is definitely suffering since the change. The roll I'm experiencing is unbearable and can be downright scary at high speeds. I find myself constantly correcting the wheel to counter the roll.

What pressure is everyone running in the rears on their A/S Plus? And is anyone else experiencing bad roll? I'm at the point where I want to go return these tires and just go back to PS2s... they may be more expensive and have less tread life, but its a hell of a lot better than the poor ride I'm experiencing on the A/S Plus.


First, you should NEVER run a combination of regular tires and all season tires. If you are going to switch to all season tires, then you must change all 4 tires. I am sure someone is going to try and argue this point, but it is generally agreed upon that you should not run a combination of types of tires. Just like you wouldn't run a pair of snow tires on the rear with regular tires on the front. This may have something to do with the trouble you are having, but maybe not.

I run my A/S Plus tires at the standard tire pressure listed in the owners manual and on the sticker on the door. I have been pushing my car a lot lately in terms of speed and cornering and have yet to experience any type of abnormal roll or handling issues. They have felt basically the same as the regular PS tires I had on there before. Try running the tires at the regular BMW recommended tire pressure and try running a full set of 4. There is also the possibility that you got a bad tire. Michelin has great quality control, but I am sure some bad ones can get out to the public.

Since I wrote this review there have been 2 other local M3's that have switched over to the A/S Plus tires (that I know of at least). At this point all 3 of us like the tires and have not had any problems.

I bought a pair of A/S Plus for my rears to replace a worn pair of PS2s. I have to say my ride quality is definitely suffering since the change. The roll I'm experiencing is unbearable and can be downright scary at high speeds. I find myself constantly correcting the wheel to counter the roll.

What pressure is everyone running in the rears on their A/S Plus? And is anyone else experiencing bad roll? I'm at the point where I want to go return these tires and just go back to PS2s... they may be more expensive and have less tread life, but its a hell of a lot better than the poor ride I'm experiencing on the A/S Plus.

Have they been broken in? That might be the problem, give them a bit to wear in

Thank you for the review. I am actually in the process of looking for a new pair of rear tires for my car. I have been looking at the Mich.A/S tires as well. I wasn't really sure how good they were compared to the other tires in the market, but now I will definately give it a try. Thanks!

I bought a set of these tires about 600 miles ago, and so far so good. The day I bought them, I left on a 250 mile interstate trip (each way). They seem to grip well and are quiet, although I don't know how they perform in rain/snow as we haven't had any precipitation since I bought them. The only thing that sucks is that the shop that put the tires in damaged two of my wheels, although the damage is small.

I bought a set of these tires about 600 miles ago, and so far so good. The day I bought them, I left on a 250 mile interstate trip (each way). They seem to grip well and are quiet, although I don't know how they perform in rain/snow as we haven't had any precipitation since I bought them. The only thing that sucks is that the shop that put the tires in damaged two of my wheels, although the damage is small.


Sorry to hear that the shop damaged your rim. I learned that these rims (at least the 19" OEM ones) have a finish that is as fragile as an egg shell, they can't be refinished very well (never looks good and most wheel repair places won't touch them), and they cost sooooooo much to replace. When the dealer was completing my Inspection 1 they accidentally placed a rim face down and scratched it. They were very upfront about it and provided me with a new rim for free, but it was a wake up call about exactly how fragile the finish really is. This is why you have to find a place that has the mounting systems that are designed for high end rims and don't scratch or damage them. I don't know what the systems are technically called (some people refer to them as "touch free" mounting systems), but only one or two places in my town (Columbus, Ohio) had it. I had to call all over the place. Unfortunately the places that have the correct equipment are NOT the cheap places like Costco, Wal-Mart, etc. I see several people that have quoted prices from Costco for these tires, but I wouldn't let them anywhere near my rims. The few bucks you save at a discount place won't cover the cost of a new rim if they damage it. Those places also tend to deny everything if you try and claim that they damaged your rim. I think the paperwork you sign up front even waives their responsibility for basically everything!

I'm considering a switch from General Exclaim UHP to A/S Plus.
Right now, I've got 12K on the rears and they need to be replaced, and the fronts could probably make it to 15k.

The Michelins are basically twice the price of the Generals, so if I can get 30K from the Michelin (plus some money back), then maybe it will be worth it. Especially if the tire performs better.

I live in Savannah, GA... so 90s in the summer and 50s in the winter.
My Michelin PS2s on 18s last 9K miles. The Generals lasted 12-15k.

Does anyone know what type of changes I should expect?... as far as grip/handling + braking on dry roads (because that's when I do some spirited driving through the back roads).


EDIT:
Seems like staying valid under the warranty is quite a pain... (so I should just count on getting ~30K miles)
http://www.michelinman.com/media/en-US/pdf/tires/michelin-2007-limited-warranty.pdf

rparker35
thanks for posting in my other thread about the regular pilot sport a/s. shortly after i decided to order i got a call confirming that the regular a/s was no longer in production and in fact the a/s PLUS did replace the regular one.

this thread was so helpful i decided to go with the a/s plus in a 245/35/19 and a 285/30/19. i am excited to recieve my tires within the next few days. i will be posting my thoughts in this thread.

thanks again!

rparker35
thanks for posting in my other thread about the regular pilot sport a/s. shortly after i decided to order i got a call confirming that the regular a/s was no longer in production and in fact the a/s PLUS did replace the regular one.

this thread was so helpful i decided to go with the a/s plus in a 245/35/19 and a 285/30/19. i am excited to recieve my tires within the next few days. i will be posting my thoughts in this thread.

thanks again!


No problem. Glad my review was helpful. I have been taking advice from many other people on this forum over the years, so I thought it was time to give something back. :)

I have now put about 2,000 miles on my A/S Plus tires and they have been great. I didn't have much of a chance to try them out in light snow or ice as it warmed up just after I got them, but I have tried them in dry conditions (obviously) and heavy rain. I am very happy with them so far. Still not sure about the tread wear though. Will have to wait and see what kind of mileage I actually get out of them.

I'm considering a switch from General Exclaim UHP to A/S Plus.
Right now, I've got 12K on the rears and they need to be replaced, and the fronts could probably make it to 15k.

The Michelins are basically twice the price of the Generals, so if I can get 30K from the Michelin (plus some money back), then maybe it will be worth it. Especially if the tire performs better.

I live in Savannah, GA... so 90s in the summer and 50s in the winter.
My Michelin PS2s on 18s last 9K miles. The Generals lasted 12-15k.

Does anyone know what type of changes I should expect?... as far as grip/handling + braking on dry roads (because that's when I do some spirited driving through the back roads).


EDIT:
Seems like staying valid under the warranty is quite a pain... (so I should just count on getting ~30K miles)
http://www.michelinman.com/media/en-US/pdf/tires/michelin-2007-limited-warranty.pdf


With as hot as it tends to be in Georgia for most of the year, I would assume that you may experience increased tire wear when compared to someone like myself (I live in Ohio). I have no real scientific proof to back this up, it is just an opinion. I am curious to see how much life I actually get out of my A/S Plus tires, but I highly doubt that it will be anywhere near the treadwear warranty. I also agree that the Michelin treadwear warranty is written in a way that makes it very easy for them to weasel out of it. However, most warranties are written this way (just read the one that comes with our cars!). Only time will tell how Michelin reacts when one of us tries to make a claim on these tires.

Judging by your previous tirewear experience with the Generals and the PS2s, I would guess that you may see 20K out of the A/S Plus tires. However, it is my humble opinion that you will experience better ride quality and handling with the A/S Plus tires compared to the Generals.

With as hot as it tends to be in Georgia for most of the year, I would assume that you may experience increased tire wear when compared to someone like myself (I live in Ohio). I have no real scientific proof to back this up, it is just an opinion. I am curious to see how much life I actually get out of my A/S Plus tires, but I highly doubt that it will be anywhere near the treadwear warranty. I also agree that the Michelin treadwear warranty is written in a way that makes it very easy for them to weasel out of it. However, most warranties are written this way (just read the one that comes with our cars!). Only time will tell how Michelin reacts when one of us tries to make a claim on these tires.

Judging by your previous tirewear experience with the Generals and the PS2s, I would guess that you may see 20K out of the A/S Plus tires. However, it is my humble opinion that you will experience better ride quality and handling with the A/S Plus tires compared to the Generals.


It looks like the reviews on tire rack give the Generals a better stopping distance and lateral G force than the A/s Plus.
Of course the PS2s also have better stopping distance (dry or wet) and lateral G force than the A/s plus and I thought the PS2s didn't do well in water.

I would guess that a summer only tire (even Generals) would have less compromise on handling/stopping than an all season tire.
I'm on the fence...

It looks like the reviews on tire rack give the Generals a better stopping distance and lateral G force than the A/s Plus.
Of course the PS2s also have better stopping distance (dry or wet) and lateral G force than the A/s plus and I thought the PS2s didn't do well in water.

I would guess that a summer only tire (even Generals) would have less compromise on handling/stopping than an all season tire.
I'm on the fence...


I personally never put much faith in the reviews at tire rack. They can be a good approximation of tire performance, but I feel that you can't take all their numbers at face value. That is just my personal experience. I have never used the Generals myself and the only experience I have with them has been on other peoples cars. They seem great for the money, but not something I would put on my car. Again, that is just personal preference. I have experience with many different Pilot Sports (regular, PS2, A/S, A/S plus) tires on various cars and have found that the new A/S Plus is basically on par with the regular PS and the PS2 when it comes to regular street driving situations. I have not noticed any difference in cornering, stopping, etc. with the A/S Plus tires. Now, on the track I am sure it would be a completely different story and I would never recommend the A/S Plus tires if you take your car on the track (this is where the differences in cornering limits and stopping ability will really start to show up).

Now, I would agree that someone living in Georgia probably has little need for an all season tire. I would also not suggest someone buy the A/S Plus just because they think they may get longer treadwear out of them as this has yet to be proven (they are still too new). The A/S Plus tires have a small nitch market and they work for that. They are by no means the best tire for every person and every situation.

Thank you for this great writeup.... Very helpful for anyone looking for new tires

Thanks for thread (again) and for addressing this on the thread I just posted. After reading all posts I see that I had already visited this thread. I've come full-circle now and after reading some negativity on my post and revisiting your thread I'm convinced. :thumbsup2:

For the dry heat of Central Cali nothing beats my Toyo Pilot Sports, Michelin T1Rs and Pirelli 555s LMAO! j/k (i know those names are off lol)

Naw on the real though, Toyo T1Rs are where it's at for the price/performance, my only gripe is they only last me about 6-8 months :-(

If I could afford it, I'd run Michelin PS2s year around!!!

Looking forward to putting them through the ringer in crappy DC weather.

I need to replace my 19' PS2s on the rear. Currently, I'm running Pilot Sports (reg.) on the front and they have a good deal of life left. Any thoughts on replacing the rears with Pilot Sport A/S Plus? I wouldn't mind having a little more traction if I get caught on the mountain with some afternoon snow flurries. I don't run the car on the track. Will the A/S on the rear affect day to day driving much? I know to avoid diff. brands/types on the fronts/rears - but the PS A/S seems to hold it's own as a performance tire... They seem to match the PS tread design more than the PS2s.

Looking forward to putting them through the ringer in crappy DC weather.
So you mean sitting in 5mph Beltway traffic during rush hour? :)

Sorry, I'm from Fairfax and I'd sell the M3 before moving back. Either that or immediately put 4.10's since you rarely break 80mph in the Metro area.

Nice review. Thanks.

Nice review. Thanks.

Thanks! I have had the tires on my M3 for about a year now and have been pleased with them. They seem to be wearing well and I haven't had any problems with traction in the heat of the summer, when it is raining, or when the temp drops below 40. The tires seem to work pretty well for everything, however please keep in mind that they are not snow tires and I do not drive the car in anything more than light snow. When the weather gets really bad (seems to be happening a lot this year) I just keep the M3 parked and drive the SUV.

i was thinking about these tires, can anyone compare them to the hankook v12s?, i live in san francisco so snow is not an issue, and it doesnt rain that hard either thanks.

i was thinking about these tires, can anyone compare them to the hankook v12s?, i live in san francisco so snow is not an issue, and it doesnt rain that hard either thanks.


I can't compare them to the Hankook V12s as I have never used that brand of tire, but if you live in San Francisco where there is no snow, not much rain (as you said), and the temps don't get below 40 degrees very often, then there isn't much point looking at the all season version of the Pilot Sports. If I lived in a climate such as yours (really wish I did about now) then I would personally stick with the Pilot Sport 2 or maybe wait and see what the price of the Pilot Sport 3 will be when it finally arrives. While the Pilot Sport All Season Plus does claim to get better tire wear that the PS2, they are a fairly new tire and the real world wear rate is still unproven. I really only picked the Pilot Sport All Season Plus so I could extend my driving time during the year (i.e. start driving early in the year and keep driving later in the year until the really bad snow arrives).

What has been your experience on tread wear thus far now that you've had some time with these tires?

I just picked up a pair of these for the rear axle and just need the OEM tires to wear out in front before those get replaced too.

Danny

I'm also interested in how the wear is holding up. Probably having a pair of these mounted in the rear sometime soon.

Replaced Toyo Proxes T1R's with the A/S about a year ago. Living in DE figured on extending my driving time a little longer during the winter. Perfomance aside, I HATED them as soon as I had them put on. I felt they looked like truck tires in comparison to what I had. Now, as far as everyday driving (spirited if you will) they perform just fine. That is not the reason I will be getting rid of them. Just cant get over the look. Fortunate enough to have an SUV for when the weather goes bad. I know this may be a pretty weak reason to get rid of a tire but just cant get over it

What do you mean it looks like truck tires? With the same profile as summers, I wouldn't imagine it look any beefier?

Replaced Toyo Proxes T1R's with the A/S about a year ago. Living in DE figured on extending my driving time a little longer during the winter. Perfomance aside, I HATED them as soon as I had them put on. I felt they looked like truck tires in comparison to what I had. Now, as far as everyday driving (spirited if you will) they perform just fine. That is not the reason I will be getting rid of them. Just cant get over the look. Fortunate enough to have an SUV for when the weather goes bad. I know this may be a pretty weak reason to get rid of a tire but just cant get over it

Huh, don't think I have ever thought they looked much different from the regular Pilot Sport tires. The tread pattern is obviously much different, but the side profile of the tires is very similar. They are the same "size" tire after all. Most people can't tell I have the A/S Plus version until they read the sidewall. Though looking from the rear it is easy to spot the difference if you know what the tread on a PS2 looks like vs the A/S Plus.

What has been your experience on tread wear thus far now that you've had some time with these tires?

I just picked up a pair of these for the rear axle and just need the OEM tires to wear out in front before those get replaced too.

Danny


Tire wear has been acceptable thus far. It is tough to tell, but they seem to be wearing a little better than the regular PS tires I had on before.

concerning tread-wear; i've been running these tires for exactly 8,000 miles (installed 09/15/2009) and here is how they're holding up with normal street driving (no burnouts) and at 33 front / 38 rear PSI.

Front: 10/32 -> 9/32
Rear: 10/32 -> 6/32

they're definitely holding up better than my former PS2's (i got about 8-9K miles out of the rears), but it looks like the A/S Plus REARS are only going to go for another 8K miles (16,000 total). i was hoping to get a few more miles than that, considering i take it very easy on them.

love my Pilot A/S.....got about 10K on mine and they're in great shape

pretty useless though in light snow though

I have 33.5K miles on my '04 and still have tread left on my stock front Conti's. I'm replacing them this weekend based on the 6-year rule (old rubber and no spare tire...) and not because they're too worn. I'm totally confused about whether to buy the Conti DW, DWS, Michelin PS2 or A/S Plus, the subject of this thread. Plus, in the NW, I don't really care about snow (couple of days a year--i'll drive my wife's A4), but it does get down into the 30's in the winter. Just don't know if that's enough to justify A/S tires. I'm tending toward treating myself to a set of PS2s--fronts are only $220 at Discount tire right now. The rears however, son of a @#$%^


It's nuts to hear you guys only getting 10-15K on fronts, and <10K on rears. I rally my car around pretty good, too. But, with the milage some guys on here are reporting, it makes me think you're risking jail time with the rate of speed at which you must be hammering corners. What gives?

I just ordered a set of 4 Pilot A/S Plus tires today for less than $1100 at TireRack

i ran sumitomos for 3 years ad 20k miles. no complaints but i'm interested to trying these. anyone running these can give some followup comments?

i ran sumitomos for 3 years ad 20k miles. no complaints but i'm interested to trying these. anyone running these can give some followup comments?

I've now put about 19K miles on mine and they have been nothing but perfect for me. I figure I have another 2-3K miles before I have to replace the rears while the fronts have tons of tread left. As for driving habits, the car is my DD and includes a few occasional road trips on the east coast. I do drive spirited when traffic conditions permit though I never dog the car. DSC always stays on to prevent wheelspin and unnecessary wear (and of course to save my butt). My car has 19" ZCP wheels in stock sizing with the mods below.

good to hear! thank you

My father has them on his E38 and loves them. I was going to go with the same tire but ended up choosing PSS's.

I've now put about 19K miles on mine and they have been nothing but perfect for me. I figure I have another 2-3K miles before I have to replace the rears while the fronts have tons of tread left. As for driving habits, the car is my DD and includes a few occasional road trips on the east coast. I do drive spirited when traffic conditions permit though I never dog the car. DSC always stays on to prevent wheelspin and unnecessary wear (and of course to save my butt). My car has 19" ZCP wheels in stock sizing with the mods below.

Pics would be appreciated... they seem like a good winter option for the NW, but I would like to see the side profile before I decide.

Pics would be appreciated... they seem like a good winter option for the NW, but I would like to see the side profile before I decide.

You can see pics of the profile on tirerack...if that doesn't suffice, just PM me and let me know what exactly you're looking for